Abstract:
Purpose – The purpose of the study was to ascertain whether there were differences
in how one public and two private South African organizations created a learning
climate.
Design/methodology/approach – This article is based on a survey and comparative
analysis of specific departments in a chemical and gas company, an insurance
company, and a semi-private state-owned organization (SPSOO) to establish
dimensions that foster the creation of a learning climate.
Findings –The findings indicated that management support, autonomy and
responsibility, time, the opportunity to develop, and guidelines to access information
were pivotal in the creation of a learning climate and varied across organizations.
Research limitations/implications – The results indicated that variations across
departments within each of these three organizations relating to employees’
perceptions of a learning climate were not considered.
Practical implications – The study revealed that a learning climate can be created in
different types of organizations through organizational, group and individual drivers.
It further revealed that the strategy in creating a climate of learning should be aligned
with the organization’s structure, culture and goals.
Originality/value – This article makes a contribution to the literature on talent
development in organizations as it indicates that different strategies can be utilized in
successfully creating a learning climate in different types of organizations.
